Dear Friends,
Sam Hinton passed away on Thursday, September 10, at 4 p.m., surrounded by family and hearing his own songs. It was a peaceful end to a long, creative and beloved life. There is a sweet tribute to him at < www.samhinton.org>, the website kept by his grandchild Katrina Cooper and her husband Danny.
Please feel free to send this notice on to others, or send me the contact information for others who ought to be on this list. We will keep in touch as plans develop for memorial gatherings.
Warm wishes,
Leanne Hinton
Sam was one of the people whose love for and command of the music really inspired me. His performance style was subtle, self-contained, and wonderfully intriguing. His emphasis was always on the music, not the performer, and Sam always brought something special to each song he sang and tune he played.
Sam Hinton at UC Berkeley Folk Festival, 1965.
My first encounter with his music was via a recording titled “How The West Was Won” (not to be confused by the film of the same title). It was a two Lp set with various artists, with an amazingly diverse range: from traditional-style performers like Sam and Jimmie Driftwood to Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney! You know, Rosemary and Bing did a pretty fine job at that! In 1961, Sam was brought to Santa Barbara’s Lobero Theater. The audience was a bit on the thin side, but the performance made me a lifelong fan.
